Come and meet us
Opening times
Visit the School
Directive 2012/27/EU on energy efficiency
Posted on: 16 November 2012
By: mackene
No Comments »
Filed under: News
This Directive, published in the Official Journal of the EU on 14 November 2012, brings forward legally binding measures to step up Member States’ efforts to use energy more efficiently at all stages of the energy chain, from the transformation of energy and its distribution to its final consumption. Measures include the legal obligation to establish energy efficiency obligations schemes or policy measures in all Member States. These will drive energy efficiency improvements in households, industries and transport sectors. Other measures include an exemplary role to be played by the public sector and a right for consumers to know how much energy they consume.
A water blueprint: Taking stock moving forward
Posted on: 16 November 2012
By: mackene
No Comments »
Filed under: News
The European Commission has adopted a package of documents designed to ensure that a sufficient quantity of good quality water is available for people’s needs, the economy and the environment throughout the EU.
8th European Water Association Annual Conference. Brussels, 30 October 2012
Posted on: 16 November 2012
By: mackene
No Comments »
Filed under: Events presentations
This events provided an opportunity to consider the quantitative and qualitative aspects of the upcoming challenges of the assessment of water management in Europe. Proceedings are available online.
The CIVITAS Initiative
Posted on: 14 November 2012
By: mackene
No Comments »
Filed under: News
The CIVITAS Initiative (“City-Vitality-Sustainability”, or “Cleaner and Better Transport in Cities”) was launched in 2002. Its fundamental aim is to support cities to introduce ambitious transport measures and policies towards sustainable urban mobility. The goal of CIVITAS is to achieve a significant shift in the modal split towards sustainable transport, an objective reached through encouraging both innovative technology and policy-based strategies. The following reports have recently been published:
City to city. Similar challenges: Sharing experiences and solutions
As transport is a very sensitive political issue in all cities, the aspects of political decision-making, of citizen participation and of involving the media are extremely important. As important as good examples is the direct and frank exchange about “lessons learned” when things did not develop as planned. Such exchanges require an atmosphere of trust – which we found in many examples within the CIVITAS Initiative. This publication contains a number of examples how such exchange worked. It represents a range of themes and procedures.
During the ten years of the CIVITAS Initiative, more than 730 technical and policy-based urban transport measures have been developed and implemented. In several evaluations of their impacts and processes, valuable lessons for implementation in other cities were derived. This handbook adds a more long term focus to those evaluations. It shows to what extent CIVITAS functions as a catalyst for the intended paradigm shift towards new urban sustainable mobility. For mobility professionals working for city authorities, CIVITAS has much to offer in that respect: numerous examples of successful measures that, embedded in urban mobility policies, give substance to the transition towards cleaner and better urban transport. This handbook provides access to those examples.
CIVITAS aims to help cities remove the barriers that prevent sustainable urban transport, whether technical, economic, social, or political. recognizing the impact politicians have, and reflecting on the advances already made by CIVITAS member cities, leaders from seven CIVITAS cities (Bremen, Gothenburg, Graz, Krakow, Nantes, Rome and Toulouse) were interviewed on how they are changing the way their cities look at urban transport.
3rd European Congress of Conservation Biology 2012 (ECCB2012). Glasgow, 28 August – 1 September 2012
Posted on: 14 November 2012
By: mackene
No Comments »
Filed under: Events presentations
The theme of the congress was ‘Conservation on the Edge’. It attracted conservation practitioners and researchers from Europe and around the world to engage in debates and discussion concerning conservation science and practice. One of the aims of the congress was to develop the participation of those involved in marine and coastal conservation, in addition to those concerned with terrestrial conservation. Presentations are available online.
The European Biodiversity Conference 2012. Brussels, 16 October 2012
Posted on: 14 November 2012
By: mackene
No Comments »
Filed under: Events presentations
The European Biodiversity Conference focused on three main themes: the importance of moving towards a green economy; innovation and new technologies in agriculture for a green economy; and how to achieve smart and sustainable growth through private initiatives. Presentations are available online.
Airports as Drivers of Economic Success in Peripheral Regions
Posted on: 9 November 2012
By: mackene
No Comments »
Filed under: News
The ADES (Airports as Drivers of Economic Success in Peripheral Regions) project officially started in November 2011. The project is set out to investigate the role of regional airports in making peripheral European regions grow. The Interim Report with its Annexes is online.
Data Hub for the Energy Performance of Buildings
Posted on: 8 November 2012
By: mackene
No Comments »
Filed under: News
The Buildings Performance Institute Europe (BPIE), has launched an open data portal gathering technical data on buildings performance in Europe. The new portal presents facts and figures collected in the framework of the BPIE’s “Europe’s Buildings under the Microscope” study released in 2011. By providing in depth data about energy efficiency in European buildings, the new platform aims to assist policy-makers at EU level Member State level, technical experts, buildings professionals, researchers, academics, and consultants. It provides them with the possibility to access country profiles, search specific parameters, generate overviews and graphs as well as screen the underlying data. The tool allows for cross-country comparisons and cost free downloads. Suggestions for data updates and corrections will be possible through online forms. The data will be enriched over time with additional topics and information generated through data exchange projects and research partnerships. BPIE is inviting any other organisations interested in joining their effort to increase data transparency about the energy performance of the European building stock.
Berlin park wins award for its soundscape design
Posted on: 8 November 2012
By: mackene
No Comments »
Filed under: News
A German consortium led by the Technical University of Berlin won the European Soundscape Award 2012 for the remodelling of Nauener Platz, a city park in Berlin. The winning project had a highly participatory approach, involving residents and people working in the area. Ideas for creating a new attractive park were collected through public discussions and workshops. The people behind the project also organised ’sound walks’ so local people could identify the noisy areas to be considered in the reconstruction of the park’s soundscape. Although traffic can still be heard in Nauener Platz, users feel that the park has a much more pleasant atmosphere. This was achieved by installing devices in sculptures and benches playing recorded sounds of birds and water. The consortium also built a 1.5 m sound barrier made of stone and plants at one side of the park close to playground. Benches for parents were situated directly behind the wall to increase the noise reduction effect. The redesign of the park also included more attractive playgrounds, sports areas and green spaces which increased the lively sounds from human activities.
Fiscal arrangements and planning decisions in Italy, the UK and the Netherlands
Posted on: 7 November 2012
By: mackene
No Comments »
Filed under: News
The report looks at the three different local fiscal arrangements with regard to the raising of revenues through urban development in European countries (the UK, the Netherlands and Italy. Topics covered include: Fiscal tools which aim to increase local revenues; Fiscal tools which aim to increase housing production; Fiscal/planning tools which aim to limit consumption of greenfield land/promote regeneration. Registration required to download the document.
What’s new
What’s new and Events presentations archive
- December 2014
- November 2014
- October 2014
- September 2014
- August 2014
- July 2014
- June 2014
- May 2014
- April 2014
- March 2014
- February 2014
- January 2014
- December 2013
- November 2013
- October 2013
- September 2013
- August 2013
- July 2013
- June 2013
- May 2013
- April 2013
- March 2013
- February 2013
- January 2013
- December 2012
- November 2012
- October 2012
- September 2012
- August 2012
- July 2012
- June 2012
- May 2012
- April 2012
- March 2012
- February 2012
- January 2012
- December 2011
- November 2011
- October 2011
- September 2011
- August 2011
- July 2011